NATHAN'S BBQ / Buccaneer Food Store in Brenham, Texas is doing a lot of things right. Nathan Winkelman designed the barbecue pits to create his signature open-pit barbecue. There's no blowing smoke at you here, this is real barbecue, not smoked meat (of course we love smoked meat too), cooked on a barbecue pit. When you think of fine wine forget the vineyards of France, look … [Read more...]
Stress Free Thanksgiving Dinner
Ideas 2 Go: Talkin’ Turkey - NACS Magazine, October 2012 By Al Hebert Can a convenience store contribute to the mental well being of an entire community? It’s totally possible if the store helps harried customers deal with a stressful, seasonal disorder: Thanksgiving dinner preparation. “Holiday meal planning is a major stressor, especially for women who … [Read more...]
Boomtown C-Store
Simonson Station Store is located in America's boomtown, Williston, ND. A few years ago, this small town was home to 12,000 residents. Then the oil-rich Bakken formation was discovered. Oil field workers converged on the town. The population more than doubled in to about 30,000. Manager, Randy Gira says business booming, but a few changes had to be made. You can read … [Read more...]
GSG Swag in Purple & Gold
A Slice of Czechoslovakia in Texas
West, Texas- West is a town in central Texas. I have to clarify this point. It could easily be confused with the western region of the Lone Star State. Czechoslovakians came here in the 19th century to work on the railroad. They brought a culture rich in great food, my favorite, the kolache. A kolache is a pastry made of sweetened dough and is filled with meat or fruit … [Read more...]
C-Stores & Hurricane Isaac
Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, Wednesday, 12:15 p.m. Hurricane Isaac is pounding eastern Louisiana right now. Residents in the southwest portion of the state are watching and waiting for the storm. Many of the large stores in the area have closed. Local convenience stores remain open at this time. Most are out of fuel, but they are still selling water, batteries and liquor. … [Read more...]
Hurricanes, C-Stores & Our Cone of Uncertainty
Here in South Louisiana, we're thinking about Tropical Storm Isaac right now. People on the Gulf Coast are once again preparing for it to become a hurricane. When a storm is about two days out people pay attention to the cone of uncertainty. Cone of uncertainty sounds like a reference to my career or a mystery ice cream treat, but it's actually a computer model that … [Read more...]
A Simple Hamburger
Finding Great Burgers in America’s Convenience Stores I don’t want to debate what should go into a hamburger patty. In Cajun Country you'll find everything except the kitchen sink in patties. Recipes are diverse. I do want to share what I’ve discovered. One day, I picked up food from a small convenience store outside of Maurice, Louisiana. Sammy’s Country Store has highly … [Read more...]
2000 Pounds of Sausage A Day
Centerville, MS- In the heart of Mississippi Deer Country is Vine Bros, a store that's been in the Vine family for over 100 years. In 2010, Benny Vine left Green Bay, WI and his career in environmental engineering to come back and keep the tradition going. Centerville has a population of 1800, but that more than doubles during deer season. Hunters come here for outstanding … [Read more...]
VIDEO – Indomitable Entrepreneur Comes Back After Fire
Cormie's-Out of the Ashes When the store that had been in Murel Cormie's Family for 80 years burned down he was faced with a decision- retire or rebuild. The new store is under construction. … [Read more...]